Device for raising sunken ships



g- 4, 1964 w. H. MEYER DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Filed July 23,1962 INVENTOR. WARREN MEYER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,143,096DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Warren H. Meyer, Rte. 2, Atlanta, Mich.Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 211,653 5 Claims. (Cl. 114-52) Thisinvention relates to a. device for raising sunken ships and moreparticularly to a device which may be collapsed and moved to a positionover a sunken ship, extended to operative position and engaged on thesunken ship and floated to the surface carrying the sunken ship.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device forforming a supporting frame about a sunken ship so that the same may beraised thereby.

A still further object of the invention is the pro vision of a devicefor raising sunken ships which device includes a rectangular frame and aplurality of extensible members extending inwardly therefrom andarranged to engage and support said ship.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a framedevice for engaging a sunken ship and provided with buoyant means forfloating the same.

The device for raising sunken ships disclosed herein comprises animprovement in the art relating to such devices and more particularly inthat a rectangular adjustable frame construction is disclosed whichincludes elongated frame members with end frame members at theiropposite ends interconnecting the same in spaced parallel relation. Theelongated frame members are provided with oppositely disposed inwardlyextending extensible arms which may be readily engaged against thesunken vessel so as to cradle the same between the elongated framemembers. Buoyant floats attached to the several frame members may thenlift the frame and the ship as a unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top elevational view of the device for raising sunkenships with broken lines indicating a sunken ship.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross section on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, withbroken lines indicating the buoyant members used for floatation.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seenthat the device for raising sunken ships comprises a pair of elongatedframe members and 11 which are of a greater length than the length of aship S to be raised. The opposite ends of the elongated frame members 10and 11 are provided with offset pivot strucures 12 and 13 respectively.Each of the elongated frame members 10 and 11 is preferably formed of apair of spaced parallel oppositely disposed channels 14 and 15respectively with a plurality of crossed subframe members 16 and 17interconnecting the same. Eyelets 18 and 19 are disposed at spacedintervals longitudinally of the elongated frame members 10 and 11. Eachof the channels 14 and 15 defining the inner sides of the elongatedframe members 10 and 11 are provided with longitudinally spaced inwardlyextending apertured brackets 20 and 21 respectively as best seen inFIGURE 2 of the drawings. Telescopic arms 22 and 23 having extensiblemembers 24 and 25 respectively located therein are pivotally mounted onthe apertured brackets 20 and 21 by pivot pins 26, 26. The extensibleportions 24 and 25 of the arms 22 and 23 are apertured at theiroutermost ends and carry universally adjustable brackets 27 and 28 whichin turn carry plates 29 and 30 respectively adapted to be engagedagainst the sunken ship.

It will be observed by referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings thatthere are a plurality of oppositely disposed pairs of arms 22 and 23 andthat the arms 22, 22 as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings are positionedat an upwardly and inwardly extending angle relative to the frames 10and 11 while the arms 23, 23are positioned at a downwardly and inwardlyextending angle relative thereto. The effect of the arrangement justdescribed is to position the plates 29 and 30 in vertically spacedrelation so that the weight of the ship carried on the arms 22, and 23will be supported at widely spaced points on the ships hull.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the plates 29 and 30 maybe and preferably are attached to the ship temporarily as by welding orbolting so that the device disclosed herein becomes in effect arectangular frame positioned around the sunken ship and secured thereto.The elongated frame members 10 and 11 are secured to one another inspaced parallel relation by end frame members 31 and 32 which aredetachably connected to the pivot structures 12 and 13. The devicetherefore takes the form of a rectangular frame comprising the elongatedframe members 10 and 11 and the end frame members 31 and 32 positionedabout the ship to be raised and having the plurality of inwardlyextending angularly disposed arms 22 and 23 with their inner endscomprising the plates 29 and 30 engaged on and preferably attached tothe ship. Inflatable means such as buoyant cylinders or collapsiblefloats are then attached to the device by means of the eyelets 18 and 19on the elongated frames 10 and 11 and by means of eyelets 33 and 34 onthe arms 22 and 23 and as illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 2 of thedrawings so that sufflcient buoyancy is obtained to float the frame, thearms and the ship. Sever-a1 alternate positions of the buoyant floatswill occur to those skilled in the art, the most obvious comprising theuse of the floats F attached by cables C to the eyelets 18, 19, 33 and34 respectively. Alternately, floats F1, F2 and F3 may be positionedbeneath the respective arms and frame members and inflated to providebuoyancy. Elongated inflatable bags F4 may be positioned within theframe members 10 and 11 when they are hollow as in the preferred form ofthe invention. Regardless of the type, size or positions of the floats Fthey are sufficient to lend buoyancy to the device and Will Wheninflated, serve to float the sunken ship. It will occur to those skilledin the art that overhead cranes may also be used to lift the frame andthe sunken ship. It will thus be seen that the device disclosed hereincomprises essentially a rectangular framework, having inwardly extendingarms and means for engagement with the ship to be raised so that astructural framework is in effect formed about the ship and whichframework provides convenient and readily accessible means for liftingthe ship.

By referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that means isprovided and shown in connection with the arms 22, 22 and 23, 23 formoving the same relative to the frame 11. Such means comprise hydraulicpiston and cylinder assemblies 35, 35 and 36, 36, the piston rods ofwhich are pivotally engaged on the arms 22 and 23 respectively with theopposite ends of the cylinders pivotally engaged on the frame 11.Actuation of these piston and cylinder assemblies 35, 35 and 36, 36 willmove the arms 22, 22 and 23, 23 relative to the frames 10 and 11 andthereby facilitate the positioning of the same relative to the sunkenship. Similar piston and cylinder assemblies may be provided for movingeach of the arms 22, 22 and 23, 23, vertically, if desired, so as tocause a clamping action on the ship.

It will thus be seen that a device for raising sunken ships has beendisclosed which meets the several objects of my invention, and havingthus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device for raising sunken ships comprising a pair of elongatedframe members and a pair of end frame members interconnecting saidelongated frame members and positioning them in spaced parallelrelation, a plurality of movable extensible arms on each of said framemembers extending inwardly relative thereto, a plurality of platesadapted to be attached to said sunken ship and means on each of saidarms for pivotal attachment to a corresponding one of said plates,respectively, means on said frame members for moving said arms relativethereto, and buoyant means for floating said frame and said ship.

2. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and whereinsaid plurality of movable arms are ararnged in superimposed rows withthe uppermost rows extending inwardly and upwardly from said frames andthe lowermost rows extending downwardly and inwardly from said frames.

3. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and whereinthe means on said frame members for moving said arms comprise piston andcylinder assemblies.

4. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and whereineach of said arms is telescopically extensible and pivotally mountedrelative to said frame.

5. The device for raising sunken ships set forth in claim 1 and whereinsaid elongated frame members are hollow and floats are disposed withinthe same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS963,168 Nelson July 5, 1910 1,851,892 Bontempi Mar. 29, 1932 1,912,428Bontempi June 6, 1933 20 2,905,127 Ohlson Sept. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS378,166 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1932

1. A DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS AND A PAIR OF END FRAME MEMBERS INTERCONNECTING SAID ELONGATED FRAME MEMBERS AND POSITIONING THEM IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION, A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE EXTENSIBLE ARMS ON EACH OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS EXTENDING INWARDLY RELATIVE THERETO, A PLURALITY OF PLATES ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO SAID SUNKEN SHIP AND MEANS ON EACH OF SAID ARMS FOR PIVOTAL ATTACHMENT TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PLATES, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS ON SAID FRAME MEMBERS FOR MOVING SAID ARMS RELATIVE THERETO, AND BUOYANT MEANS FOR FLOATING SAID FRAME AND SAID SHIP. 